Visa and MasterCard are pushing mobile payments using HCE. In Europe it is a natural step from the existing contactless payments systems but in the US it is a big jump from the traditional swipe and sign system currently in use. Here is run down of some of the things you should know about Android, NFC and Host Card Emulation.

Recently Mastercard announced a new program that would impose digital wallet operator fees. In response to the move, Visa’s CEO Charlie Scharf said that these kinds of fees are “totally appropriate”, but is Visa actually planning a similar move?

Thinking about switching your family over to U.S. Cellular? If so, now is certainly the time to do it. As an incentive, U.S. Cellular is running a promotion that gives new subscribers a $300 Mastercard debit card.

With so many methods for mobile payments being put through the wringer, why not add another one? MasterCard and ING Group have introduced a new payment method that interweaves both mobile and internet payments. Sound confusing? We’re just getting started.

Raise your hands, how many of you have been dreaming about one day being able to pay for everything with nothing but a tap from your mobile phone? It’s a fantasy we all want to see come to fruition, but there have quite a few number of hiccups. MasterCard, in an attempt to get the ball rolling on mobile payments, has just released an SDK that’s compatible with Android and BlackBerry smartphones.

Everything Everywhere and Mastercard are teaming up to bring contactless NFC payments to the UK. They have a five-year plan to foster adoption of the new system and enable people to pay for goods and services with their smartphones.

Mastercard was one of the first in the financial world to adopt mobile payments, and they were the first credit card company to embrace Google Wallet (Visa support came a few months later). So it’s...obvious they are serious about leading this market, because they think this is the future. But they may want something more than just partnering with their competitors and to make it universal for all user...

By now, we should have been able to make contactless payments with pretty much any mobile phone, at just about any supermarket or restaurant. Or at least that’s what...many of us expected for 2012. Unfortunately, NFC payment technology has been slow to progress over the past couple of years.

There are still relatively few smartphones enabled for NFC use, whil...